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Mohamed Lachemi appointed interim president

Brings record of leading transformative change
October 26, 2015
Mohamed Lachemi

Photo: The Board of Governors approves appointment of Mohamed Lachemi as interim president of Ryerson. 

A nationally recognized scholar, experienced administrator and an advocate for student and faculty success, Mohamed Lachemi steps into the role of interim president of Ryerson with a record of leading transformative change.

The Ryerson Board of Governors approved the appointment of the Provost and Vice President Academic as interim president and vice chancellor on October 26, with his term effective December 1, 2015.

“It’s an honour to serve Ryerson in this capacity,” says Lachemi. “I look forward to working with the community on advancing our priorities, and would like to pay tribute to Sheldon Levy for everything he has done for the university.”

“Mohamed Lachemi has contributed significantly to Ryerson as a key academic leader,” says Janice Fukakusa, Chair of the Ryerson Board of Governors, “The Board has every confidence that the university will do very well during this important time with Mohamed as interim president.”

To fill the role of provost, Lachemi will immediately launch a campus-wide consultation, with an interim expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Lachemi has been Ryerson provost since 2013, serving in the key roles of chief academic officer and chief operating officer for the university, with overall responsibility for the university’s budget.

Under his leadership the Law Practice Program was launched in partnership with the Law Society of Upper Canada, Zone Learning was fostered and expanded to include 10 zones, and the university’s new academic plan, Our Time to Lead, was developed through extensive consultation with the community. Creating partnerships, fostering collaboration and engaging the community to solve challenges and initiate transformational change are hallmarks of his leadership style.

As dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, he oversaw the creation of the Faculty of Science, the first faculty to be added to the university in more than 40 years. In fact, his career at Ryerson has been a story of breaking new ground: he was the first Tier II Canada Research Chair at Ryerson and was among the first graduate program directors. While he was dean, he instituted the Quality Assurance Office to ensure high academic standards and played a major part in establishing the renowned Centre for Urban Energy.

Lachemi is nationally recognized for his pioneering research contributions in sustainable materials and innovative technologies. A former Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Construction, he is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

The search for the president is underway with the appointment of the Presidential Search Committee. The committee met for the first time today and will set a timeline for recommending a candidate to take to the Board of Governors as Ryerson’s next president.

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